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Risk factors associated with epilepsy development in children with cerebral palsy
Elif Karatoprak1, Gülhan Sözen2, Sema Saltık3
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey. elifyuksel2001@yahoo.com.
Insights
Epilepsy in cerebral palsy (CP) is predicted by family history, neonatal seizures, CP type, motor/cognitive impairments, and term/appropriate-for-gestational-age birth. Identifying these risk factors aids in close patient follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Epilepsy is a frequent comorbidity in cerebral palsy (CP).
- Identifying epilepsy risk factors in CP is crucial for proactive management.
- This study investigates predictors of epilepsy in a CP patient cohort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine risk factors for epilepsy development in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- Factors considered include prenatal, perinatal, natal characteristics, associated impairments, and cranial imaging.
- Focus on a patient population at a tertiary center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 234 children (3-18 years) with CP.
- Groups: CP with epilepsy (126) and CP without epilepsy (108).
- Comparison of demographic, clinical, and cranial MRI (cMRI) findings.
Main Results:
- Risk factors for epilepsy in CP: family history of epilepsy, neonatal seizures (first 72h), quadriplegic CP, severe motor/fine motor disorders, moderate-to-severe intellectual disability.
- Increased risk in term infants and those appropriate for gestational age (2500-4000g).
- Parental consanguinity, primiparous mother, maternal age, delivery mode, multiple gestation, NICU stay, intubation, and cMRI findings were not significant risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Predicting epilepsy in CP patients through identified risk factors allows for targeted, close monitoring.
- Early identification of at-risk individuals can improve epilepsy management in cerebral palsy.
Objectives:
Epilepsy is one of the most common and important comorbidity among patients with cerebral palsy (CP). The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors predicting the development of epilepsy considering prenatal, perinatal, and natal characteristics; associated impairments; and cranial imaging findings in our patient population with cerebral palsy at a tertiary center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Methods:
This retrospective study consisted of 234 children aged between 3 and 18 years of age. Children were divided into two groups as CP patients with epilepsy (126 patients) and CP patients without epilepsy (108 patients). Demographic features and clinical and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) findings were compared between the two groups.
Results:
Presence of family history of epilepsy, history of neonatal seizure especially in the first 72 h of life, quadriplegic type of CP, severe degree of gross motor function and fine motor disorders, and moderate to severe mental retardation or psycho-social developmental delay were determined as risk factors for the development of epilepsy in CP patients. Also, an increased risk of epilepsy was detected in term infants and appropriate for gestational age (2500-4000 g) infants. On the other hand, presence of parental consanguinity, being born from a primiparous mother, age of mother at birth, mode of delivery, presence of multiple gestation and labor problems, history of follow-up in neonatal intensive care unit and intubation, and cMRI findings were not significant risk factors for the development of epilepsy in CP.
Conclusion:
Predicting epilepsy development by determining the risk factors in patients with CP might be useful because knowing the risk factors could provide close follow-up of these patients for epilepsy.
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